Soccer-Eto'o accused of tax evasion in Spain

By Teresa Larraz Mora| MADRID, June 28

MADRID, June 28 A Spanish public prosecutor has
accused Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o of conspiring to evade 3.5
million euros ($4.4 million) in taxes owed on income from his
image rights when he was playing for Barcelona between
2006-2009.

The former Barca and Inter Milan player, now with Russian
Premier League club Anzhi Makhachkala, is accused of four tax
offences, each punishable with up to five years in prison and a
fine of as much as 21 million euros.

The case presented by the prosecutor on June 15 at a
Barcelona court, and which was seen by Reuters on Thursday, asks
a judge to open proceedings against the player before the
statute of limitations on one of the alleged offences expires on
Saturday.

Spain recently launched a drive against tax evasion as it
struggles to meet tough European deficit reduction targets that
have meant budget cuts for hospitals and schools.

Eto'o allegedly created two companies, one in Hungary and
another in Spain, and used them to channel income obtained from
ceding his image rights to Barca and sportswear maker Puma, the
prosecutor said.

The Hungarian company paid one of the lowest corporate tax
rates in Europe - 10 percent to 19 percent - while the Spanish
company paid a reduced corporate tax rate of 30 percent to 35
percent, instead of the 45 percent income tax rate, the charge
said.

Eto'o also allegedly used the Spanish company to deduct
personal expenses, such as payments for his mortgages, furniture
and expenses related to his luxury cars, the complaint added.

Eto'o and his club could not immediately be reached for
comment.

The prosecutor also accused Eto'o's former agent, Jose Maria
Mesalles, and the manager of the Spanish company, Manuel de
Jesus Lastre, of the same tax offences.

Eto'o filed a lawsuit against Mesalles at a Barcelona court
last year, accusing him of betraying his trust and of embezzling
money, local media said.

The Cameroon striker signed for Anzhi Makhachkala, a club
from the volatile North Caucasus region and owned by Russian
billionaire Suleiman Kerimov, last August, in a record-breaking
move that made him the richest player in the world, on an annual
salary of 20 million euros.

($1 = 0.8028 euros)
(Edited by Fiona Ortiz and Clare Fallon)

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